The Power Of Habit Forming And The Science Behind It
Research suggests that the average person may spend roughly half their day on autopilot. This can mean moving from one task to another without giving much thought to your actions. With so much of our time devoted to automated behaviors, it may be important to ensure that our behaviors and habits are constructive, not destructive. Bad habits can have a way of negatively impacting all parts of our lives, including our physical, mental, and emotional health. On the other hand, good habits can support our well-being and help us achieve the goals we’ve set for ourselves. Habit stacking, SMART goals, tracking your progress, and starting small can help you implement new habits. If you need help forming healthy habits, you may consider turning to an accountability partner or working with an online or in-person therapist who can guide you in the right direction.
What are habits?
Consider the first thing you do when you walk into a dark room. For most of us, the immediate response is to turn on the light. We may do it without even thinking. That mindless sort of response can be seen as a habit.
Habits can be defined as routines we perform regularly. In general, we don’t have to give them a great deal of thought. Instead, they tend to be an effortless and reliable part of our day.
The habit loop
James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, explains the process of building a habit as the habit loop. According to Clear, the habit loop generally includes the cue, craving, response, and reward. Together, these steps can create a neurological feedback loop.
The first step is usually the cue, which can refer to how the habit is triggered. Habit cues can include time, location, preceding event, emotional state, and other people. If you want to form a new habit, the key to a successful cue may be choosing a trigger that’s both specific and immediately actionable.
The second part of the habit loop is typically the craving. The craving can be exactly as it sounds: It’s generally the motivation behind each habit. We might not necessarily want to perform a certain action, but we may want to enjoy its effects. For example, you may not want to start the coffee maker every morning, but you likely crave the caffeine boost you get after a few sips.
The third stage of the habit loop is normally the response. Once a cue occurs and you have a craving, you may choose how to respond. Habits tend to be built when these responses become automatic. For instance, if your cue is hearing your phone vibrate, and the craving is the desire to know what message you received, then the response is likely to pick up your phone and check your screen. It may be something you do without a second thought.
Finally, the habit loop typically ends with the reward. Once you respond to the cue and satisfy your craving, you may be rewarded with the result that you want. Over time, the habit may become cemented in your daily routine.
Habit formation and mental health
The mind and body tend to be deeply connected. This has generally been well-documented in how stress impacts our health. For instance, vaccines tend to be less effective in people who are experiencing stress, and high levels of stress can cause wounds to heal more slowly.
Relationship between healthy habit formation and mental health
This mind-body connection can create a symbiotic relationship between our physical health and emotional health. Healthy physical habits may improve the state of our mental health, and strong mental health can make it easier to form healthy habits.
The link between formed unhealthy habits and mental health conditions
Studies show that unhealthy lifestyle choices are often associated with poor mental health. Researchers evaluated the impact of unhealthy habits, including limited physical activity, a sedentary lifestyle, excessive or inadequate sleep, smoking, and dietary habits, to determine how they may impact people’s mental states. They found that eliminating unhealthy habits by eating more vegetables or decreasing alcohol consumption usually resulted in a decreased risk of developing symptoms of depression.
How breaking bad habits can improve mental health
Because of the connection between our physical and mental health, breaking bad habits can be a catalyst for improved emotional health. Not only may you be removing unhealthy habits from your life, but you’ll likely replace them with more constructive habits. For example, if you tend to drink excessively when you’re out with friends, you may notice that this choice results in poor mental health in the days that follow. Next time, you might choose to have one drink and then switch to water. This lifestyle change can prevent alcohol from negatively impacting your mental health while also improving your hydration.
Five strategies to form healthy habits
Knowing how to create healthy habits may be half the battle when it comes to habit forming. Consider which strategies would best motivate you in your quest toward better habits.
1. Start small
In her book The Lazy Genius Way, Kendra Adachi talks about starting small to build healthy habits. The author wanted to start practicing yoga but knew herself well enough to recognize that this was a lofty goal. Thus, she began by challenging herself to do one downward dog pose each day. With time, this pose turned into a 30-second routine, and she was able to build on this one small habit to eventually practice yoga daily.
The bigger a goal you set for yourself, the more commitment it may take to reach that goal. Life can quickly get in the way, derail your plans, and leave you perceiving that you haven’t achieved anything. So, you may want to start small with your healthy habits. If you want to eat healthier, for example, try packing one extra piece of fruit for work each day. If you want to use your phone less, you could wait two extra minutes before picking it up in the morning. As you reach each small goal, consider setting a slightly bigger one for yourself, slowly moving toward where you want to be.
2. Use SMART goals in habit forming
When setting goals for healthy habits, it might help to be as specific as possible. This is where SMART goals can come into play. SMART goals are generally Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
For example, saying you plan on exercising more might be considered a vague goal since it doesn’t give you any direction about what steps you need to take. Instead, you might set a SMART goal to walk for 10 minutes during your lunch break every day for the next month.
3. Track your progress
Tracking your progress doesn’t necessarily require expensive apps or detailed spreadsheets. It may be enough to create a note on your phone where you jot down how you’re doing with your healthy habits. You could document your progress on a weekly basis, reflecting on successes and challenges with each new habit. If you want to do more to fight climate change, for instance, you might record how much you drove each week. Then, you could challenge yourself to drive a little less in the following week.
4. Try habit stacking
To build new habits, try pairing the desired behavior with actions that are already part of your everyday life. For example, instead of scrolling through your phone while your coffee brews, try using that time to unload the dishwasher so you start the day off with an empty dishwasher. As soon as you put away your groceries, consider washing and prepping your produce for the week, so you have some quick and healthy snack options. Habit stacking can make it easier to remember new habits until they become part of your daily routine.
5. Be consistent and patient in developing a new habit
You may be wondering how long it takes to develop a new habit. It can vary greatly, and it can depend on your personality, willpower, and motivation. Some habits, especially those that are pleasurable, may be easier to establish than habits that are less inherently interesting.
Challenges of habit formation
Changing your habits can be challenging. Unrealistic expectations about what progress should look like can cause you to throw in the towel and return to your old habits. One way to remedy this challenge may be to work side-by-side with a licensed mental health professional who can give you feedback about the progress you’re making.
Benefits of online therapy
Seeing a therapist in person once a week might not provide enough encouragement and accountability to remain committed to your plan. With online therapy platforms such as BetterHelp, you can communicate with your therapist throughout the week via online messaging. Your therapist will generally respond to you when they’re able. Sometimes, a short message of encouragement might be all it takes to stay the course.
Effectiveness of online therapy
In addition, research has shown that online therapy can be effective in treating a wide range of mental health conditions and challenges. Symptoms of conditions like depression, anxiety, and others can impair your ability to form new habits. Conversely, improved mental health may contribute to successful habit formation, and online therapy can help you achieve your goals and develop new habits by enhancing your mental well-being.
Takeaway
What are the 4 stages of habit forming?
The four stages of creating habits were developed by Charles Duhigg in his book, “The Power of Habit.” These stages include:
- Cue: External cues (triggers) that precipitates the behavior
- Craving: The source of motivation that drives the behavior
- Response: The actual behavior
- Reward: The outcome that rewards the behavior
Understanding habit formation can be helpful for breaking habits that are unhealthy and developing certain habits you’d like to replace them with.
What does it mean for something to be habit-forming?
The term “habit-forming” can have positive or negative connotations depending on its use:
- Negative: When an activity or substance is “habit-forming,” it may lead to a strong desire to repeatedly engage with it, leading to addictive or repetitive behaviors.
- Positive: Things like exercise, meditation, or brushing teeth can also become incorporated into routine. Healthy habits formed through repetition can become automatic, subconscious behaviors in daily routines.
Some of the key aspects of forming healthy habits include positive reinforcement, repeated frequently, stacking habits, making small changes, and tracking progress. After modeling habit formation repeatedly, it can eventually become an automatic routine.
What is an example of a habit forming?
Here are a few examples of habit-forming activities:
- Brushing teeth before bed
- Exercising after work
- Fastening your seatbelt in the car
- Cigarette smoking
- Drinking alcohol at social functions
- Making the bed
Habit formation can refer to both positive and negative habits.
What are the 3 R's of habit formation theory?
The three R’s of habit formation theory are:
- Reminder: The cue or trigger that initiates the behavior, such as driving by a coffee shopping or a certain time of day
- Routine: The behavior itself
- Reward: The benefit or rewards that act as a reinforcer (such as people liking your social media post)
This theoretical framework is popular in clinical psychology, with many cognitive behavioral therapists helping clients become more aware of this habit loop.
How long before a habit is formed?
The time it takes for a habit to become automatic can vary considerably. For example, the length of time may vary based on the motivations behind the habit, how simple or complex the habit is, and whether the habit is intended to replace other habits.
What is the habit formation theory?
Habit formation theory refers to a theory of behavioral psychology. This is not a novel theoretical framework, rather it’s a well-established concept of human behavior that first arose in the late 1800s. This theory is grounded in brain research.
The area of the brain called the “basal ganglia” is responsible for habitual behavior development and maintenance. A behavior can be called “habitual” when the basal ganglia controls activation and execution.
Habit formation theory uncovers how habits are formed, triggered, altered, and rewarded, which can help people replace unhealthy habits (like scrolling on social media or unhealthy food choices) with healthier ones. This approach to behavioral psychology can significantly improve time management, self-esteem, and well-being.
What are the 4 stages of habit formation?
Habit formation is not primarily motivated by self-control. Rather, it depends on four steps that help habits become automatic:
- Cue: The trigger that initiates the behavior
- Craving: The motivation that drives the behavior
- Response: The behavior itself
- Reward: The benefit of the effort
Here’s an example: You see your running shoes by the door (cue), this makes you want to run (craving), which might lead you toward putting on your shoes and going on a run (response), and then feeling energized and less stressed afterward (reward).
Can you form a habit in 7 days?
Habit formation duration depends on its context. For example, the habit, the frequency and consistency of repetition, the complexity of the habit, and the strength of the cue, craving, and reward. Humans are complex beings, and an individual's behavioral environment and temperament may also affect how long learning a new habit might take.
For example, trying drugs a few times may lead to addiction in some people, but not in others. In the case of healthy habits, some things (like brushing teeth before bed) may take less effort and time to automate than others (like lifting weights for an hour).
How do you start a new habit?
Here are some tips that can help you begin developing new habits:
- Set SMART goals
- Make habits very specific, focusing on the cue (such as stretching while your coffee brews)
- Stack habits, using existing habits as cues for new ones
- Focus on small, manageable goals that you can build on later
- Consider your motivations
- Track your progress
- Reward yourself immediately after doing the behavior
- Be consistent
- Don’t be too hard on yourself
- Be patient, new habits can take weeks or months to develop
Here’s an example of habit formation in relationships: If your partner has made a point that they feel unappreciated, you might want to stack a habit—like drinking your coffee—with sending them a text of appreciation. Once you practice this small habit consistently, you may want to
How does a bad habit develop?
Many bad habits are triggered by the brain’s reward circuitry. For example, when someone uses drugs or alcohol, smokes cigarettes, uses social media, or overeats, dopamine (the “feel-good hormone”) is released by the brain. The pleasurable reward associated with these responses motivates people to continue seeking it.
Once established, a bad habit can be difficult to change. However, it’s not impossible. Here are some tips developed by behavioral scientists for beginning to replace bad habits with healthier ones:
- Make changes incrementally
- Visualize practicing good behaviors instead (this idea might not work for everyone)
- Replace the habit with something else, such as replacing drug use with running or soda consumption with sparkling water
- Avoid situations that might cue the habit
- Reward yourself for your progress
In addition, consider recruiting friends and family for support and encouragement.
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